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Serbia and Montenegro

The White Palace
Belgrade's White Palace is home to the royal family. The twists and turns of their history can be found here; suffice to say, the students and teachers of ISB were graciously invited to tour the palace.

OK, I think I have the correct kings and princes here - above is King Alexander, who was assasinated in France in 1934. His son King Peter II is above to the right; he took over but had to leave the country after the Nazis invaded. After the Communists took over after WWII, his son Crown Prince Alexander II (bottom right) remained in exile until 2001.

 
Entering the formal reception room, we found ourselves surrounded by gifts and artifacts from all over the worl. I was pretty surprised to see how many objects of obvious value had not disappeared during the 60 odd years of absence by the royal family.

The White Palace is the "working palace" where meetings and receptions took place.
This was a building where Serbain leaders, including Tito and Slobodan Milosevic, lived and recieved foreign emissaries. The teachers took a break in the very chairs these meetings used to center around!


The Royal Palace, on the same grounds, is the "living area" for the family. It is surrounded by several pools and forested paths.

 

Inside this more intimate building, we again found ourselves surrounded by pretty opulent furnishings, including a kitchen separated by a 120 meter long underground tunnel and a private theater. The Crown Prince said that the boys enjoyed using the kitchen tunnel as a skateboarding ramp!


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